Mercy Washington Is Named “Top Performer”

Mercy Hospital Washington was named a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.

“A recognition from The Joint Commission is a true assurance to patients that physicians and staff are paying close attention to quality and safety measures. It’s also a recognition we earned for patients,” said Tom Riechers, MD, chief of staff and vice president of medical affairs for Mercy Hospital Washington. “It says we have data that shows we are doing everything in our power to keep patients safe from harm.”

Mercy Hospital Washington is one of 1,099 hospitals in the United States earning the distinction of Top Performer on Key Quality Measures for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance. The hospital was recognized for its achievement on these measure sets: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care.

The ratings are based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to the Joint Commission during the 2012 calendar year. The list of Top Performer organizations increased by 77 percent from last year and it represents 33 percent of all Joint Commission-accredited hospitals reporting accountability measure performance data for 2012.

“Our scores prove that our staff is skilled and knowledgeable. You want that in the clinicians who are caring for you and your loved ones,” said Terri McLain, president of Mercy Hospital Washington. “We’re also the place you want to be when you’re not feeling well. We’re your neighbors and your health is our top priority. And because we’re Mercy, you know we’re compassionate caregivers.”

Many Honors

The hospital has received many accolades in recent years for its quality standards. In the summer of 2013, the Leapfrog Group awarded Mercy Hospital Washington an “A” grade based on preventing medical errors, accidents and infections. Additionally, the hospital has been ranked positively by Consumer Reports in 2013 for safer surgeries, in 2012 as a top “safe hospital” and in 2010 as a top hospital at keeping patients in the ICU from contracting life-threatening infections linked to the presence of central (intravenous) lines.

In 2011, the hospital was recognized by Primaris for maintaining zero Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections in the ICU. The hospital was a 2010 recipient of the Safe Patient Care Award for influenza mitigation from Missouri’s Center for Patient Safety. The hospital has maintained zero MRSA infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) since 2010 and zero central line infections for seven years.